KINGSTON, Jamaica - WHO was Arthur Jones? The late jockey and former patrol judge, in whose memory today’s feature was staged, was champion for many years prior to the opening of Caymanas Park. Despite repeated calls from this column concerning the omission of citations indicating the reasons for memorial races, there has been no action by the Jamaica Racing Commission. It is important to protect the history of the sport and to inform as well as educate the new cohort of racing fans on a continuous basis.
Run as the tenth and closing event, this renewal of the 1300-metre Arthur Jones saw the return to form of Race Car (Shane Ellis). The well-built, lightly raced, five-year-old US-bred grey horse won five of seven local appearances dating from March 2022 back to January 2020. However, to keep him race-ready has been a been a challenge for conditioner Spencer Chung. Race Car won on his seasonal appearance last March but did not look the same horse in three subsequent appearances. From an early position of prominence just behind the pacemakers, Race Car stayed on well to beat the highly fancied 3-5 favourite Eagle One to land the Chung stable double and Ellis’s three-timer.
The opening event run over 1600 metres produced a close finish. Favourite at 2-5 Secret Emperor (Shane Ellis) led from 500 metres out. However, the Anthony Nunes-trained colt Howilookin sustained his winning run from the top of the home stretch to score by a neck over the favourite for Tevin Foster to secure the first of two successes on the card.
Foster had to wait an hour to confirm double success as he was a spectator in the jockeys’ room as Phillip Parchment rode a strong finish aboard colt JB Flyer (2-1) to win race two run over 900 metres. Always going easily from the moment gates opened for the 1200-metre race three, Jamal James (1-2), saddled by Gregory Forsyth, did not require Foster’s involvement to be over five lengths clear at the line.
Race four, contested over 1500 metres, had an interesting finish for trainer Richard Azan. Starting at odds of 21-1, Power Ranking (Javaniel Patterson) led to less than 20 metres from the winning post. Hard-ridden stablemate Perfect Brew (8-5) prevailed by a neck in the driving finish. For Azan and Thomas this was the beginning of a productive day.
The fifth event over 1100 metres was run in heavy downpour with limited visibility from the grandstand. Favourite at 3-5 Special Counsel was presented with a gift when 8-5 chance Custer (Anthony Thomas) conceded many lengths at the start. For the first of three wins on the card, former two-time champion Shane Ellis guided the Phillip Lee-trained seven-year-old grey mare to a three-and-half-length winning advantage.
Not to be outdone with the in form riders doing well, leading reinsman Dane Dawkins got in on the act in the 1000-metre-straight sixth. Maiden sprinter Great Trick (6-5), from the camp of Gary Subratie, needed minor assistance from Dawkins to score by two and a half lengths.
Starting the day on 60 wins, five less than Dawkins, Thomas was back in the winners’ enclosure following a dominant gallop by Jason DaCosta’s Super Duper. Having her field outsprinted at the end of the 1100-metre seventh, 9-5 backed Super Duper won by nearly five lengths.
In race eight Thomas completed a successful afternoon by partnering Josh (7/1) to victory over the 1000 metres of the straight course to confirm his three-timer and to close Azan’s double success, while Shane Ellis earned his second trip to the winners’ enclosure with lovely, US-bred debutant Champion Bubbler (1-1). Schooled by Spencer Chung for the first of his stable double, she did nothing wrong in besting nine rivals to score in the ninth event over 1000 metres straight.
The Training Feat Award is presented to Spencer Chung for his patience in handling the issues associated with Race Car. The horse produced the Best Winning Gallop under top weight and was exceptionally well-handled by Ellis, giving the second-generation reinsman today’s Jockeyship Award.
